The Snake's Earliest Failure
by Kisaragi Tsukamaru
Summary: Anko's life before her genin exam to after Naruto's
1. Chapter 1

The Snake's Earliest Failure

-By Misarashi Tsukamaru

Summary: Anko's life story up till a little after Naruto's genin exams.

Warning: This will eventually have shoujo-ai (girl x girl) content in later chapters

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters and anything written here is for personal entertainment and not to be taken as factual.

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Chapter 1

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Anko walked down the road to class, wearing her black pants with a forest green top and her standard issue ninja equipment (shuriken holster and shuriken with kunai, and her ninja sandals). She could barely stand it; the walk alone to classes was slowly killing her. She could feel hear heart breaking as she watched her classmates going to class in two's and three's laughing together. _'I have no one, no one at all.' _She thought as she continued on her way.

In a short while she found herself out side of the ninja academy. The bell had yet to ring, so the young ninja's in training were milling about outside. She saw the clown Iruka goofing off to his friends that were still in the academy. He had graduated a few years ago. Mizuki was still hanging around him. She could feel something wrong with the way he held himself, not at all like the smile on his face, something darker.

Looking around she also saw Hayate and his friend Yuugao. Everyone thought they were a cute couple, however Hayate had picked up a nasty virus last year. _'It never did really go away.' _Anko thought with a frown. With nothing to do, Anko made her way inside, the students parting away from her, as if she carried a plague.

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Anko could only watch as her classmates giggled and pass notes behind her sensei's back. Her mind going back to when she first entered. She had arrived an hour early, something that she did every day. So for an hour she sat in the classroom reading up on Ninjutsu's and different styles of Taijustu.

Finally the teacher entered, but paid Anko no mind. She felt her spirits fall just a little more; she was never noticed because she was always the one to correct the teacher, even if it was just a little. She even on occasion improved on what the teacher said, and because of it he resented her. No matter how well she did, she would always have "Work harder" on her papers and tests with a just passing grade.

She could feel the tears in her eyes, gathering as she watched him ramble on and one. _'I hope that I become strong enough to prove all of these people wrong and that I'm worth getting to know. Rather than teat me like I'm second rate cause I'm different.' _She thought. Different that she could learn things faster than everyone else, different in that she was _better_ than everyone else.

She was brought out of her musings when the bell to go home rang. But before the students could rush out the door, their sensei spoke to the class. "Remember everyone, tomorrow is the Genin exams, so be prepared. And with that said, everyone exited the class.

Anko lagged behind everyone, not wanting to see all of the others with their parents. Only Iruka knew what it was like to see something that you were never going to have again. Somehow, that thought made her feel worse, he was very popular and had many friends that would talk to him and cheer him up. Even the 3rd Hokage visited him to make sure he was ok.

However, she had no one, something that had been troubling her for some time. She couldn't understand why people never paid attention to her unless she did something that drew a lot of attention to herself, '_was it because she wasn't as pretty or something related to that?' _she miserably thought as she trudged to her favorite training spot, a forest that everyone said was forbidden.

However, as she made her way across town she bumped into someone and knocked them to the ground. Extending her hand and expecting for it to be slapped away like at school, she said. "I'm sorry, can I help you up?" To her surprise, she felt a soft hand enclose hers and a soft beautiful voice followed it. "Thank you."

Getting over her shock and the strange warm sensation of human contact, Anko pulled the girl up. Her surprise forgotten, she looked at the person she had knocked down. She was rather tall, at least as tall as some of the guys if not taller. Her hair was a lovely silky black that made Anko feel that her own gray hair was hideous and made her unconsciously take a step back, her eyes quietly filling with sadness. After that her attention was drawn to her deep red eyes that bordered on a light crimson, that were framed by her hair, feeling once again self conscious about her grayish tan eyes.

Dropping her eyes to the ground, Anko spoke again. "I'm sorry I knocked you to the ground, I should have been watchin' where I was going."

With that said, she began to walk away at as fast a natural pace as she could without looking like she was trying to get away. However, she was stopped when one of soft hands of the girl grabbed her by the wrist. Turning to the girl, she was shocked by the puzzled expression on the girls face.

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Kurenai couldn't understand what had happened since she had finished training with her genin team. She was part of cell 8, something that she was immensely proud of along with the Genjutsu she was able to employ. She had been walking home to her parents when she ran into someone and had fallen.

However when the other person looked as if they expected to be shunned, Kurenai couldn't help but wonder why. So taking her hand and getting helped up, she looked at the young girl that she had run into as she did the same. _'She is quite pretty, if a little out of the ordinary.' _thought Kurenai as she took in Anko's features, along with what she wore, boy's clothing mostly.

However he attention was drawn to Anko's gray hair and grayish tan eyes and how they seemed to compel her to get to know the girl. However her musings were cut short when she mumbled another apology and began to walk off. Frowning, Kurenai grabbed her wrist and waited for the girl to turn back around, her face feeling the confusion that she felt. _'Did I do something wrong?' _she thought as she waited.

When the girl turned around, she saw that the girl felt uncomfortable. Deciding to try and open the girl up, Kurenai made a joke. "What, am _'I'_ that ugly that you have to run away?" chuckling a little at her joke she was surprised that the girl look almost as if she wanted to cry.

"Hey… what's wrong? Was it something I said?" quickly asked Kurenai.

Her answer was a derisive snort. However before she could comment, the girl spoke. "I'm not good enough to be near _'you'_." She said her eyes cast away from Kurenai's face.

Troubled by what the girl had said, Kurenai gently cupped the girls face and turned it towards her gaze. Upon making her eyes lock with hers. She spoke again. "Why would you think that? Surely your friends don't think that you are ugly."

However she was met with a harsh glare at the comment and felt something akin to fear enter her body as she looked into the girls eyes, a small shiver passing through her spine. "I don't need some stranger mocking me about my lack of friends! I know I don't have any! So don't bring it up!" screamed the girl, causing a few passerby's to look at the girl with distain.

"You don't have _'any' _friends?" quietly asked Kurenai.

The girl looked once again to the ground a tear trailing down her cheek, leaving a sparkling train behind. "No, I have no one." She replied.

A look of determination on her face, Kurenai pulled the girl to her and embraced her in a warm hug; then turning to her head, she spoke into the girl's ear in a whisper. "I'll be your friend, you deserve to have someone. My name is Yuuhi Kurenai."

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Anko was shocked to hear that the girl hugging her was willing to be her friend. Hugging her girl back she responded to the one of best things that she had ever hear. "I'm Mitarashi Anko, and thank you for being my friend."

Letting go of the girl, she gave her the biggest smiles that she could muster, her eyes dancing with joy. It was then that she felt the hand land atop her head, "Well Anko, I have to go now. I have to go home before my parents get worried, but I'll see you tomorrow ok?" Kurenai spoke as she ruffled Anko's hair.

"Ok, but will I really see you tomorrow?" quietly asked Anko, afraid to hope that this was all nothing more than a lie.

"Of course." Replied Kurenai as she walked away.

'_I finally have a friend, I hope." _Thought Anko as she walked towards the training grounds that she was headed to earlier.

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It was getting dark when she reached her training grounds. Wanting to get a fair amount of sleep before the genin exam, she quickly set up her targets. Stepping back, she quickly began to fire off all of her shuriken. Then not missing a beat she quickly began forming seals. Culminating in "Kage shuriken no jutsu." Then her shuriken multiplied and slammed into her targets covering them in metal till the point that nothing could even hit the target anymore.

With a puff of smoke, her kage shuriken disappeared. Letting out a sigh, she walked to the targets and removed the real shuriken. Putting them back in her holster, she began to work of her chakra control. Walking to the hot springs, she walked out on the water, her chakra keeping her on top of the water.

Deciding that she could fine-tune it some, she lay down on the water and made a water bunshin. Letting the bunshin form and then attack her prone form, flipping up she began to practice her chakra control while at the same time practice her taijutsu.

It wasn't long until she tired from the amount of chakra it took to maintain the bunshin and quickly move about the top of the hot water. Dispelling the bunshin, she began her trek home. Watching as all of the shops began to close, she hurried on her way. Leaping to the rooftops, she sped home. Reaching her apartment, she opened the front door and in a quiet voice, said. "I'm home…"


	2. Chapter 2

The Snake's Earliest Failure

-By Misarashi Tsukamaru

Summary: Anko's life story up till a little after Naruto's genin exams.

Warning: This will eventually have shoujo-ai (girl x girl) content in later chapters

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters and anything written here is for personal entertainment and not to be taken as factual.

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Chapter 2

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Anko lay quietly on her futon as she stared up at the ceiling of her apartment. Tomorrow was the genin exam, something she should have been excited over. However she couldn't bring herself to be excited, when she didn't have someone to congratulate her or celebrate with her.

'_I guess I'll just do the best I can and treat myself to something when I pass…' _Anko thought as she rolled over, closing her eyes preparing for sleep. Just as she was about to fall asleep she heard a knock at her door, getting up she made her way to the door. Opening it she found her landlord waiting for her with an irritated expression on his face.

'_Well crap… what did I do this time?' _Anko asked herself as he pudgy and foul smelling landlord began to speak. "Well you little shit, what do you have to say for yourself this time?" Blinking in shock, Anko's best response was a, "excuse me?"

Then before she could do anything, she felt his hand impact her throat. Letting out a strangled gasp from the impact she felt herself being picked up by her throat. Wheezing from the pressure on her windpipe, she saw the glare he was directing at her. "Where's my rent, you little whore?"

Confused by his question, she managed to reply despite the lack of oxygen. "I already paid you for the month… I gave it to your wife." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the man snarled in anger and slammed her into the wall.

All that she could feel was pain, and that was fleeting. She could hear her labored breaths, and the blood pounding in her ears. Yet even with her training as a ninja student she didn't have any leverage or weapon at hand. Her nails were filed down unlike the other girls in her class, leaving her without a weapon.

As black started to creep into the edges of her vision she felt herself fall to the ground. Managing to tilt her head to the side, she saw an Anbu with a solid white mask with very sharp lines for the eye wholes, on closer inspection however she noticed the eye holes were outlined in purple with to purple slash lines traveling down from the inside corners as if outlining the nose.

"Its not nice to abuse those that you are paid to house." Said the Anbu, his voice carrying an undertone of soon to come pain. His stance, while relaxed reminded Anko of an animal ready to strike.

Anko's landlord however, not impressed with the way the Anbu had apparently disengaged Anko from him, Spat directly at the Anbu in anger. "Don't tell me how to run my business ninja!" yelled the man, red in the face from anger.

Anko suddenly whipped her head to look directly at the Anbu. She could feel his distaste for the man in front of him. Then as if in slow motion she watched the Anbu strike the man. She saw the Anbu palm thrust the man's chest, a sickening cracking sound erupting from the impact and part of his chest indenting. "Oops, I slipped." Said the Anbu, as he leaned over the now collapsed man. "Now just to make this clear…" said the Anbu before he kicked the downed man, "you should play nice with ninjas, you never know when you might disappear, because there are fates worse than death."

It was then that the Anbu turned to Anko. Then with the words, "go back to bed and rest. We wouldn't want you to get hurt now, would we?" He disappeared in a cloud of smoke afterwards.

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Waking up, Anko found that her bruises had gone down after a little rest and her focusing her chakra at the injured portions of her body to speed up the healing. _'Handy trick I learned, but necessary when the man that is supposed to look after me hits me.' _ Bitterly thought Anko as she stripped down, her body very thin and her build wiry with just a bit of toned muscle firming her body.

She could also feel the scars on her body as she moved to the bathroom, the slight feel of tight flesh on her back. Once in the shower, she turned on the water and let the frigid water wash over her, waking her and conditioning her. Then slowly the water started to warm, she could feel her muscles unwind and her body relaxing.

Quickly washing her body now that the water was warm, she soon found herself clean and toweled off before she knew it. _'Time flies when no one is there to greet you…' _she thought as she slid on her panties and put on her bra. Feeling embittered as she heard the young children laughing below her she put on the rest of her clothes after a brief pause. Taking a brief look at the clock that hung on her wall, she let out a long sigh.

'_It looks as though I won't have breakfast again.'_ She sullenly thought, as she remembered that she had no food stocked currently, all of her money had gone to pay her rent. Maybe she could find something really cheap, or something small, with what little that she had.

Making her way to her door, she exited her apartment and made her way down the stairs till she left the apartment complex, its dark and dreary features hanging on her mood. As she slowly made her way towards the Ninja Academy she notice a small stand off to the side, hidden behind the other larger stands and shops, much likes she was. Walking up to it, she saw a middle aged looking man, preparing something behind the small counter.

"Excuse me sir… what do you serve and how expensive is it?" shyly asked Anko to the man.

"I make dango, would you like to try some miss?" answered the man a large smile on his face.

Wondering at his happy expression, she could only nod her head. Then with out another word the man handed her a stick of dango with three different types on it. Putting it inter her mouth she at the first one, she immediately recognized it as an-dango a tasty sweet bean paste. Trying the second one, she was rewarded with a Mitarashi-dango a sweet dango made from soy and sugar. _'God, I love dango.' _Was Anko's only thought as she finished the middle dango. Eating the last dango, she tasted a kinako-dango a toasted soy flour dango. Relaxing as she ate the last dango, she pondered the dango stick.

For the life of her, she couldn't get the image of a wooden senbon needle out of her mind as she looked at the dango stick. Once finished with her food, she turned back to the man and used the rest of her money to buy a rather surprisingly large amount of dango. When asked why so cheap, he offhandedly replied that he didn't need money and that this was more of a hobby.

Looking at the strange stand owner, before leaving, she decided to buy lots of dango. With he dango in hand, she then made her way to the Academy.

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Once again, Anko found herself at the Academy early. Even with her stop at the strange dango stand. Making her way to her class and eventually her seat, she began to ponder what had occurred last night. She could only feel admiration for the Anbu with the white mask.

Letting her thoughts drift to what would eventually occur today, she let her body relax in her seat and began to mentally review techniques that she had learned and might need to perform to pass the exam.

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It had been rather boring watching the others take the exam. She had gone first; the teacher had used individual names to start rather than family names. The first portion of the exam was a projectile weapon exam. It was at that moment that Anko, in her despondent attitude that morning had forgotten her kunai on the counter. Thinking quickly, she knew that she couldn't borrow a set so she eventually thought of the seven sticks of dango in her mouth. Yes seven sticks, even she was a little appalled by the shameless consumption of the tasty food.

However once she was in position the instructor began to berate her. "Mitarashi-san, how are you going to complete the projectile portion of the exam without your kunai? I'm afraid that I'm going to have to fail you." With that he took his pencil and gave her a failing grade, on that portion.

Feeling miffed, she looked at the target. It was nothing more than a straw dummy that had certain portions of the body marked, each was a point to incapacitate a target. _'I'll show that ass.'_ Anko thought as she pulled the dango sticks out of her mouth, and began to throw them into the dummy.

From the silence that followed her using the dango sticks was very unusual for her genin class. It was then that her instructor moved over to the dummy and pulled out one of the dango sticks. It was rather funny to watch the instructor stare blankly at a dango stick as if he had never before seen it in his life.

It was then that his expression hardened, turning to Anko. "Mitarashi-san, I'm afraid that I am going to have to deduct points from your score. Two of your... projectiles… did not hit marked points." And with that he began to write again,

Pissed that he had dismissed her throws so casually, she spoke up against the teacher for the first time. "I cannot accept that decision sensei. The two throws were in points that would incapacitate my enemy. However, if you think that you could function without _'your'_ eyes in a battle I am willing to concede those points to you."

She could feel the anger radiating off of the instructor as she berated him in front of the entire class. Then with barely concealed rage, the instructor led her through the rest of the tests and marked her down for any discrepancy that he noted.

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Anko let out a yawn, as she left the Academy, even with e instructor out for her blood, she had still somehow managed to pass the genin exam. It was then that she let a small frown mar her features, she had passed but the ass in charge of the exam had only made her dead last in her class to spite her, _'but at least she had passed the exam.'_ She thought with a smile.

Making her way towards the training grounds that she loves so much, her own private forest of death. With a snicker at the thought, she pondered why the forest that she trained near was called the forest of death. Ignoring the thought after a few moments of unsuccessful thoughts on the matter she found herself next to the girl, who she had ran into the previous day.

Walking over to hear, a little apprehension on her face she lightly tapped Kurenai's shoulder. As Kurenai turned around, Anko felt a small flutter in her chest. Ignoring the odd feeling she put on a smile.

"Hello Anko, did you have a good day?" asked Kurenai once she was facing Anko.

Letting a large smile cross her face, she pulled Kurenai into a light hug.

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Kurenai was glad that Anko was feeling better, _'maybe she just needed to have a friend. If that's what she needed, I'm glad that I could be it. It's not like she certainly isn't cute.'_ Thought Kurenai as she spent some time with Anko before heading home for the evening.

The two spent a little time just walking around and talking about their individual day. Kurenai was proud of Anko for passing the genin exam and expressed that opinion to have Anko smile at her and give her a one armed hug as they walked.

However like all good things, Kurenai noticed that it was getting late and she needed to get home. "Anko I need to get home, so I need to get going."

Looking at the sky, Anko noticed that it was getting dark and that the sun would set in an hour or so. "Ok then, I'll see you around then. Goodnight Kurenai, be safe." Said Anko when she turned back to her.

At this they hugged each other and went their separate ways, Anko to her training ground and Kurenai to her parents and the impending inquisition that it would pertain to for getting home late.

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It was late by the time that Anko had finished with her jutsu practice. Tired and weary from the chakra expenditure, she forced herself to begin basic Taijutsu katas that were taught to her at the academy.

Flowing from one form to the next, she felt her body begin to pull at what was left of her chakra reserves, depleting them and at the same time strengthening them. Concentrating on the katas and her chakra at the same time, she smoothed the flow of chakra, cutting down the amount her body was using to a bare minimum.

Eventually she could feel her chakra beginning to waiver under the strain of its constant usage. _'I guess its time for a break.' _She thought to herself as she looked up at the moon. While looking at the moon, she flopped onto her back. Relaxing under the moons tranquil light, she let a small smile cross her features and laid their until she decided to go home and get some rest before her Cell assignment the following day.

'_Perhaps life is finally going my way.' _She pondered while walking through the sleeping village of Konoha.


End file.
